Rechamber 308 to 30-06?

[TimeToShoot]

Can a 308 be rechambered to 30-06? Seems I read somewhere (can't 'member where) that the barrel has to be cut off at the threads to do this conversion due to the 308 being a little fatter somewhere along the case body. Need expert advise thanks. mike

 

[steveno]

why? for all practical purposes a 308 will do 95% of anything a 30-06. is your action long enough to handle a 30-06?

 

[Jim Watson]

You are both right.

A .30-06 reamer won't clean up a .308 chamber, the barrel would have to be set back, with attendant effects on bedding.

It isn't worth the trouble and expense. And I like '06.

 

[Sunray]

"...Can a 308 be rechambered to 30-06?..." No. The .30-06 case is 1/2" longer than the .308 case. Usually, the receiver of a .308 rifle is also shorter. So feeding a longer case would become a big problem. That being said, the .308 is ballistically identical to the .30-06. The only real difference between the two is the maximum weight of the bullets used. 200 grains for the .308, 220 for the .30-06. This is not a viable conversion.

 

[Jim K]

I have seen it done, and it will work after a fashion. The .30-'06 reamer won't clean up the chamber because the .308 is wider at the shoulder than the .30-'06 is at that point, but all that happens is that the fired case has a bulge around it behind the shoulder. Not good for many reloads, maybe, but the owner of the rifle in question didn't reload and didn't care. (For that rifle, the .308 action was the same as the .30-'06 action, so that was not a factor.)

So I can't say it won't work, only that I too don't recommend it and don't see much point in it.

Jim

 

[TimeToShoot]

Thanks for the opinions and the fact I was looking for from Mr Watson. The bedding issue poses more problems than anything else and yes the action is long enough M70. thanks again, mike

 

[Sunray]

"...M70..." For a Model 70, it'd likely cost less, in the long run, to rebarrel.